{"id":133989,"date":"2019-04-18T16:06:51","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T16:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=133989"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:04:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:04:59","slug":"break-social-media-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/break-social-media-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"How do I break my social media addiction?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Smartphone<\/p>\n

Social media connects us to new people and ideas \u2014 for better or worse. It\u2019s also a massive time suck<\/strong> that can wipe out a whole day and get in the way of accomplishing goals.<\/p>\n

The word “addiction” brings to mind drugs and alcohol. It might seem too strong a word to apply to something like social media, right?<\/p>\n

Well, not exactly. Though social media addiction has yet to secure an official spot in the DSM<\/a>, it’s already become quite prevalent in the U.S. and Europe.<\/strong> It is\u00a0affecting up to 8.2%<\/a> of the general population.<\/p>\n

How often are you on track, knocking tasks off your to-do list when a friend request or Instagram comment derails your progress<\/strong>? One second you\u2019re typing up an email, and the next, you\u2019re deep into some acquaintance’s 2016 vacation pics.<\/p>\n

All of us are susceptible to succumbing to these distractions, but there are some things you can do to fight full-blown social media addiction.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips you can use to regain control:<\/p>\n

Learn why you\u2019re addicted to social media<\/h3>\n

\"Facebook<\/p>\n

What is it you hope to gain from opening social media? Uncovering the \u201cwhy\u201d behind your bad habit does require some introspection.<\/p>\n

You might not have a good reason for your endless scrolling. If that\u2019s the case, take a closer look at your motive. Do you hit the ‘gram when you\u2019re stressed or overwhelmed? Or, is it when you\u2019re trying to put off a project you don\u2019t want to start?<\/p>\n

Perhaps, you\u2019re seeking connections with the outside world<\/strong> or accessing new information.<\/p>\n

In any case, we tend to lean on social media to fill a void. Psychology Today describes this endless scroll as this “wanting activity.”<\/a> Meaning, we tend to keep looking at our feeds because we’re anticipating some reward.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a lot easier to veg out in front of your feed<\/strong> than picking up a book or phoning a friend. This just adds to the temptation.<\/p>\n

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Social media adds 24\/7 emotional burdens<\/p>\r\n Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

Reset<\/h3>\n

\"Going<\/p>\n

One way to fight social media addiction is by taking a day off<\/strong>. Consider taking a day each week where you avoid using the phone or your computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This gives you some space to schedule some in-person social time. Do some analog reading, or you know, go outside.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That said, a full day of no socializing might add to your anxiety for a lot of people. If that’s you, aim for a couple of hours at a time.<\/p>\n

Set ‘micro-boundaries’<\/h2>\n

Micro-boundaries is a concept developed by University College London researchers.\u00a0It refers to a handful of ways to set distance between you and your bad social media habits.<\/a><\/p>\n

The researchers say there are four types of micro-boundaries.<\/p>\n